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I hinted I had some personal news earlier this week and am excited to finally come clean… It’s time to pack up the ginger jars because we’re moving to Raleigh!

It still feels surreal to type as we haven’t had much time to process–Garrett accepted a transfer within his agency earlier this month and the past few weeks have been a whirlwind of searching for a new home, packing up our current apartment, and tying up loose ends in advance of our moving date–just over a week away!

We’re so excited for this next adventure, and truth be told, have been considering our long term options for quite some time as we weighed the reality of the currently crazy DC real estate market with our future goals of starting a family, etc. This New Englander always thought she’d be heading back up North, but I’m truly looking forward to life further south of the Mason Dixon and have only heard the most wonderful things about our new city.

Over the past 6.5 years (!) DC has been the backdrop to so many firsts and periods of transition in our lives. There’s much that I’ll miss: the charming row homes, the museums, the restaurants; and many things I won’t mind leaving behind: the traffic, expense, and sometimes seemingly singular focus on career, success, and achievement which is inspiring, but also exhausting.

Speaking of career, in case you’re curious, I’ll be hanging out my shingle in Raleigh! Of course it’s a bit scary to start over after feeling like I’ve just gained momentum here, but thankfully it’s only a quick drive or flight away, so I’ll be back in the DC area twice a month to oversee current projects that I would have been so sad to leave behind. I’m sure it won’t be without its challenges, but I think it will be the best of both worlds as we transition and technology really has made things easier than ever.

I’m planning to do a more reflective post on DC and my favorite spots as we get closer to the move (let me know what you’d like to hear about!) but in the mean time, I’d love to hear from any North Carolinians!

Did you participate in the Black Friday madness yesterday? We ended up at the mall rather unwillingly thanks to a broken iPhone, and let me tell you, shopping online is an infinitely more pleasant experience!

We shopped “big” at the major retailers yesterday, but now it’s time to show all the wonderful local small business owners our support. Here’s my guide to shopping local. Please feel free to add your favorite shops in the comments!

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a dinner to celebrate the opening of West Elm’s newest DC outpost on 14th street. West Elm is always one of my go-to retail resources–especially for clients that need to be cost conscious without sacrificing style–so I couldn’t be more excited about the new location.

The dinner was hosted at Table, one of the newer restaurants to hit the scene in the rapidly revitalizing Shaw neighborhood. This was my second time to Table and revisiting the inventive menu above has me thinking about making a reservation this weekend–DC friends, add it to your restaurant list!

We were seated in the upstairs loft, which opens out to a really fantastic rooftop (unfortunately it was pouring the night of the dinner). I loved the juxtaposition of modern white walls with textural pendants and rough hewn wooden beams.

Place settings featured whimsical dinnerware designed by Rachel Kozlowski set atop hand painted place mats. The beautiful white flower arrangements were designed by Sweet Root Village–I chatted with co-owner, Lauren, during dinner who couldn’t be sweeter. Check out their portfolio to be inspired!

No social media dinner would be complete without iPhones in hand. Billy and I are likely strategizing Instagram captions. It appears as though I approve.

A few weeks ago we met up with friend, and our talented wedding photographer, Kate Headley, to snap our engagement photos. I wanted to share a few photos of the setting because in my opinion it’s truly one of the most beautiful but surprisingly unknown places in DC.

We decided on the gardens at Dumbarton Oaks for the same reason I decided on our wedding venue–stunning architecture and a sense of history. It was actually The Orangery that sold me. It’s breathtakingly beautiful in person (fourth and fifth photos) and Kate totally caught me obsessing over those lanterns. Typical, right?

As camera shy as I am (no future in fashion blogging here!) it was so fun to spend an afternoon wandering the gardens with Garrett and have Kate as our very own paparazzi. I know we’ll cherish the photos for years to come.

For our garden photos I wore this eyelet dress and these espadrilles, which are probably the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned. I highly recommend them and already have my eye on another pair!

DC friends and out-of-towners, definitely put Dumbarton Oaks on your must-visit list. Next time we’re going back with a picnic packed!